Labour leader is being urged to comment on the brutal crackdown of opposition in the failed South American state
A VIDEO has emerged of Jeremy Corbyn delivering fawning praise to the Venezuelan President as he continues to be attacked for failing to condemn the far-left regime.
The Labour leader is being urged to comment on the brutal crackdown of opposition amid days of unrest in the failed South American state.
But a clip has revealed he called up Nicolas Maduro – who has since been labelled a “dicstator” by Boris Johnson – to congratulate him on winning election.
Mr Corbyn, speaking in Spanish, rang in to talk about the death of Left-wing Labour politician Tony Benn, and the pair discussed the ex-Venezuelan President, Hugo Chávez.
The Leader of the Opposition added: “Congratulations to you Mr President and to the whole of the Venezuelan people.”
It is one of a number of public messages of support he has given to Mr Maduro and his predecessor.
He attended a 2013 vigil following the death of Mr Chavez, hailing him as an "inspiration to all of us fighting back against austerity and neo-liberal economics in Europe".
Mr Corbyn later supported a parliamentary motion which congratulated Mr Maduro on his election as president via "transparent and fair" elections, and called for closer ties between Venezuela and the UK.
It also urged then-prime minister David Cameron to invite Mr Maduro to visit the UK at the earliest opportunity.
And in 2015 Mr Corbyn spoke at a “solidarity with Venezuela” event, saying: “When we celebrate, and it is a cause for celebration, the achievements of Venezuela, in jobs, in housing, in health, in education, but above all its role in the whole world as a completely different place, then we do that because we recognise what they have achieved.”
It comes as Britain has threatened to slap Venezuela with crippling sanctions after two of the country’s opposition leaders were seized from their homes by state security forces.
Foreign Office Minister Sir Alan Duncan said it was “absolutely right” that the US has punished the teetering socialist republic.
And he also turned up the heat on Mr Corbyn, blasting: “In the meantime what is astonishing that is when the world is condemning Venezuela, we don’t hear a squeak from the leader of the opposition in the UK.
“Who for 20 years or more has said he is a great friend of Venezuela and the socialist regime there is the perfect example of what a government should be.”
He added: Sir Alan added: “He is not even criticising it, and I think it is high time he should – and if he doesn’t I just think it shows just what he would do to this country if he was ever to be our Prime Minister.”
But Mr Corbyn – despite breaking off from his holiday in Croatia to congratulate the England women's football team on their performance at the Euros and attack the government over train overcrowding – is yet to make a public statement.
And the Arsenal fan also took the time to lash out at the owner of the club for launching a new online TV channel that shows blood sports and hunting shows.
He is coming under pressure from his own MPs to personally denounce the regime – with at least 10 people dying in the past few days.
Angela Smith, who has reportedly joined a new all-party parliamentary group on Venezuela, said: "I think Corbyn needs to condemn the actions of the Venezuelan regime, which are a very serious threat to democracy in that country."
Graham Jones, another Labour MP and chairman of the group, told The Times: "I believe everybody in the Labour Party should condemn the Venezuelan regime because the first duty of any state is to look after its citizens. Venezuela has failed."
